#2 Gonzaga Cruises Past Portland by 29 Points

Published: Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 2:32 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 2:32 a.m.

SPOKANE, Wash. | The raucous student section at No. 2 Gonzaga's arena had no doubt where the Zags should be ranked when The Associated Press' Top 25 comes out on Monday.

"We're No. 1! We're No. 1!" the students shouted as the clock wound down in Gonzaga's 81-52 victory over Portland on Saturday.

Coach Mark Few was a little more restrained, noting the polls are out of his control.

"It's never happened here before," Few said of a No. 1 ranking. "It would be an honor. If they think that highly of us we'll take it."

But a minute later Few also betrayed some amazement that the little Jesuit school from Spokane could reach the pinnacle of college basketball.

"At the end of the day it would be pretty cool for Gonzaga to be No. 1," Few said. "My first year here we won four Division I games."

Elias Harris scored 20 points and Kelly Olynyk added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Gonzaga (29-2, 16-0 West Coast), which had already clinched the West Coast Conference regular season title and the top seed in next weekend's tournament. Gary Bell Jr. added 14 points.

Gonzaga, winner of 12 consecutive games since a last-second loss at Butler, has escaped the losses that have afflicted other teams at or near the top of the poll in recent weeks. That included a loss by top-ranked Indiana to Minnesota earlier this week that opened the door for the Bulldogs.

The Zags have never been ranked higher than their current No. 2 position. But because of their lightly regarded conference schedule, there is a chance a lower team could leapfrog them in the poll. Gonzaga's only other loss was at home to Illinois in December.

#10 Louisville 58, #12 Syracuse 52

SYRACUSE, N.Y. | Luke Hancock hit a 3-pointer from the corner to break a tie with 50 seconds left for Louisville, which lost to Syracuse earlier this season.

It was the third straight loss for Syracuse (22-7, 10-6 Big East).

Louisville (24-5, 12-4) snapped a three-game losing streak against Syracuse, and the Cardinals did it before a stunned crowd of 31,173.

Russ Smith led Louisville with 18 points, Hancock had 12, all on 3s, and Gorgui Dieng finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

C.J. Fair had 19 points to lead the Orange, James Southerland added 13 and Michael Carter-Williams 11.

#14 New Mexico 53 Wyoming 42

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. | Alex Kirk had 15 points and nine rebounds and New Mexico clinched the Mountain West Conference regular season title.

The Lobos (25-4, 12-2 MWC) went 21 for 27 from the free throw line in winning or sharing the title for fifth time in the last six seasons. Cameron Bairstow contributed 13 points and nine rebounds and Kendall Williams had six assists for the Lobos.

Riley Grabau scored 14 points for the Cowboys (18-11, 4-11).

New Mexico closed the first half on a 13-6 run after Kendall Williams picked off a pass deep in the Wyoming end and turned it into a dunk just before the buzzer for a 25-19 lead.

A showcase of two of the Big 12's marquee point guards ended up being a sloppy one, with Kabongo committing a career-high seven turnovers while the Cowboys' Marcus Smart had five.

Oklahoma State (22-6, 12-4 Big 12) took advantage of two of Kabongo's turnovers to score the final eight points of the first half and start an 18-2 run that carried beyond halftime. By the time it was over, the Cowboys were firmly in front at 47-33 after Nash drove through traffic for a right-handed slam.

The Longhorns (13-16, 5-11) couldn't duplicate their comeback from a 22-point deficit in the final 8 minutes of regulation in an overtime win against Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

Julien Lewis returned after missing the last game with a concussion and led Texas with 15 points, hitting four of 11 from 3-point range. Javan Felix scored 13 points. Kabongo ended up with a season-low seven points and eight assists.

VCU 84, #20 Butler 52

RICHMOND, Va. | Troy Daniels scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half and VCU's full-court pressure overwhelmed Butler from the outset.

In a much anticipated rematch of their unlikely meeting in the national semifinals in Houston in 2011, the Rams (23-6, 11-3 Atlantic 10) dominated, forcing 14 turnovers in the first half, one more than Butler's average for a game, and converted them into 24 points on their way to a 45-21 lead.

Butler (22-7, 9-5) scored the first seven points after halftime to close within 17, but Briante Weber and Treveon Graham both scored five points in a 10-4 run and it was pretty much over, allowing the Rams to clinch one of the top four seeds in the conference tournament later this month.

<p>SPOKANE, Wash. | The raucous student section at No. 2 Gonzaga's arena had no doubt where the Zags should be ranked when The Associated Press' Top 25 comes out on Monday. </p><p>"We're No. 1! We're No. 1!" the students shouted as the clock wound down in Gonzaga's 81-52 victory over Portland on Saturday. </p><p>Coach Mark Few was a little more restrained, noting the polls are out of his control. </p><p>"It's never happened here before," Few said of a No. 1 ranking. "It would be an honor. If they think that highly of us we'll take it." </p><p>But a minute later Few also betrayed some amazement that the little Jesuit school from Spokane could reach the pinnacle of college basketball. </p><p>"At the end of the day it would be pretty cool for Gonzaga to be No. 1," Few said. "My first year here we won four Division I games." </p><p>Elias Harris scored 20 points and Kelly Olynyk added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Gonzaga (29-2, 16-0 West Coast), which had already clinched the West Coast Conference regular season title and the top seed in next weekend's tournament. Gary Bell Jr. added 14 points. </p><p>Gonzaga, winner of 12 consecutive games since a last-second loss at Butler, has escaped the losses that have afflicted other teams at or near the top of the poll in recent weeks. That included a loss by top-ranked Indiana to Minnesota earlier this week that opened the door for the Bulldogs. </p><p>The Zags have never been ranked higher than their current No. 2 position. But because of their lightly regarded conference schedule, there is a chance a lower team could leapfrog them in the poll. Gonzaga's only other loss was at home to Illinois in December. </p><p>#10 Louisville 58, #12 Syracuse 52</p><p>SYRACUSE, N.Y. | Luke Hancock hit a 3-pointer from the corner to break a tie with 50 seconds left for Louisville, which lost to Syracuse earlier this season. </p><p>It was the third straight loss for Syracuse (22-7, 10-6 Big East). </p><p>Louisville (24-5, 12-4) snapped a three-game losing streak against Syracuse, and the Cardinals did it before a stunned crowd of 31,173. </p><p>Russ Smith led Louisville with 18 points, Hancock had 12, all on 3s, and Gorgui Dieng finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. </p><p>C.J. Fair had 19 points to lead the Orange, James Southerland added 13 and Michael Carter-Williams 11. </p><p>#14 New Mexico 53 Wyoming 42</p><p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. | Alex Kirk had 15 points and nine rebounds and New Mexico clinched the Mountain West Conference regular season title. </p><p>The Lobos (25-4, 12-2 MWC) went 21 for 27 from the free throw line in winning or sharing the title for fifth time in the last six seasons. Cameron Bairstow contributed 13 points and nine rebounds and Kendall Williams had six assists for the Lobos. </p><p>Riley Grabau scored 14 points for the Cowboys (18-11, 4-11). </p><p>New Mexico closed the first half on a 13-6 run after Kendall Williams picked off a pass deep in the Wyoming end and turned it into a dunk just before the buzzer for a 25-19 lead. </p><p>#15 Oklahoma State 78, Texas 65</p><p>STILLWATER, Okla. | Markel Brown scored 18 points, Le'Bryan Nash added 16 and Oklahoma State corralled Texas star Myck Kabongo. </p><p>A showcase of two of the Big 12's marquee point guards ended up being a sloppy one, with Kabongo committing a career-high seven turnovers while the Cowboys' Marcus Smart had five. </p><p>Oklahoma State (22-6, 12-4 Big 12) took advantage of two of Kabongo's turnovers to score the final eight points of the first half and start an 18-2 run that carried beyond halftime. By the time it was over, the Cowboys were firmly in front at 47-33 after Nash drove through traffic for a right-handed slam. </p><p>The Longhorns (13-16, 5-11) couldn't duplicate their comeback from a 22-point deficit in the final 8 minutes of regulation in an overtime win against Oklahoma on Wednesday night. </p><p>Julien Lewis returned after missing the last game with a concussion and led Texas with 15 points, hitting four of 11 from 3-point range. Javan Felix scored 13 points. Kabongo ended up with a season-low seven points and eight assists. </p><p>VCU 84, #20 Butler 52</p><p>RICHMOND, Va. | Troy Daniels scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half and VCU's full-court pressure overwhelmed Butler from the outset. </p><p>In a much anticipated rematch of their unlikely meeting in the national semifinals in Houston in 2011, the Rams (23-6, 11-3 Atlantic 10) dominated, forcing 14 turnovers in the first half, one more than Butler's average for a game, and converted them into 24 points on their way to a 45-21 lead. </p><p>Butler (22-7, 9-5) scored the first seven points after halftime to close within 17, but Briante Weber and Treveon Graham both scored five points in a 10-4 run and it was pretty much over, allowing the Rams to clinch one of the top four seeds in the conference tournament later this month. </p><p>Roosevelt Jones scored 14 points and Khyle Marshall had 13 for Butler. </p><p>#22 Marquette 72, #21 Notre Dame</p><p>MILWAUKEE | Jamil Wilson tied his career-high with 19 points and Chris Otule added a season-high 16 on 8-of-8 shooting as Marquette won its 25th consecutive home game. </p><p>Wilson scored 17 points in the second half, including seven down the stretch, for the Golden Eagles (21-7, 12-4 Big East). His two free throws were the final points in the game.</p>